Pressure vessel



C. E. JOHNSON PRESSURE VESSEL Oct. 14, 1952 Filed April 6, 1948 1 VENToRwe a BY @Mwmmqmryu J4 nrroe/vgrs.

Patented Oct. 14, 1952 PRESSURE vE'ssEI'; v Carl E. Johnson,-Verona,Pa'., assignor-to` Scaife Company, Oakmont,

Pennsylvaniay Pa.; a corporation vol' Applicationpril 6, 194.8,`"Serial"y ldd-19,254'

This invention relates to shipping containers for compressed gases, andmore particularly -to means for identifying such containers.

In the manufacture ofcontainers for handling or shipping liquefiedpetroleum gas and other compressed gases the Interstate CommerceCommission requires that each container,` usually termed cylinder, beimpressed with certain information, such as the name of themanufacturer, the weight of; the cylinder and its serial number. Whencontainers are furnished on any order they must be numberedconsecutively. In the past it has been the practice to stamp therequiredinformation into the metal of the head of the cylinder around its neck.This ha-s to be done before the cylinder is completed and tested.

If the cylinder fails the test, the data carried by it has to be appliedto a new cylinder in order that there will be no gaps in the numberingsystem. The time required to make the new cylinder, which can not bemade until it is known which cylinder it will replace, slows downproduction. 'Ihe lightwalls of these pressure cylinders make it unwiseto stamp data into them deeply, which otherwise would be desirable forthe sake of legibility-i A simple solution to theseA problems would seemto be to stamp the necessary information on metal plates and then weldthem to the cylinder heads after the cylinders have been tested, butsuch a procedure is not allowed by ICC regulations without subsequentheat treatment, which must be done before testing.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a pressure vesselwhich can be tested before permanent identifying data is applied to it,

but which later receives a data-carrying member y that is permanentlyattached to it without being welded to the'cylinder head or side wall.Other objects are to provide such a vessel with an identication memberthat is easy to read and that can carry additional data desired =by theuser but l not presently allowed to be stamped into the wall ofacontainer.

In accordance with this invention the neck at the center of the convexhead of a compressed gas cylinder is encircled by anidentificationmember in the formof a wide flange or crown, the outeredge of which engages the head. The upper surface of the crown hasstamped deeply therein identifying numbers and figures pertaini 2 it haspassed its tests. The-y ttom of the collarpressesthe' underlyingportionof the crown toward the head. so that the crown is permanentlyclamped in place by the collar. If desired.

when the collar is separate from the crown, the

collar, lthe lower surf-ace of 'the grooved portion forming a ribthat-may be pressed against the head. .l y f l The invention isillustrated inthe accompanying drawings in which Fig. '1- is a side viewof my pressure vessel;` Fig. 2is a plan view thereof; Fig.

3 is anenlarged central verticalsection through the upper portion ofthis vessel with the valve and valvecap removed; Fig. 4 is a similarview of the same parts just before ythe collar is fastened to the neck;`and Figs. 5, 6 and? are frag- -mentary views, similar to Fig. 3, ofthree modifications of this invention.'

Y Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings. the compressed gas cylinderha-s the usual convex head l provided with a central opening 2 fromwhich a'neck 3 extend-s upward. The lower end offthe neck Vmay rest onthe head around the opening andbe welded to the head, or it may beintegral with the head. Y The neck is provided f with a threaded passage4 for receiving the usual shut-off valve (not shown). The upper end ofthe neck is provided with an encircling recess 6 having a horizontalbottom and an upwardly tapered side. Also encircling the neck is a metalcollar 'l which has a horizontal top wall, the inner edge of whichextends into the neck recess and substanti'all'y` engagesits lowersurface. The collar ing to the cylinder'carrying it. The crown is heldin place by a threaded collar` which encircles the neck and ispermanently attached to the upper end of it. The crown and collar maybemade in one piece or vas separate members. but they are not applied tothe' cylinder until after may be secured to the neck by a continuousbraze or weld B which lls the downwardly tapered annular groove formedbetween the side of the recess andthe collar. If desired,` however, theco1- lar can be joined to the neck by a mechanical connection. The topWall of the collar-extends away from the neck and is integrallyconnected to the upper end of a side Wall which is spaced `from theneck. The outer surface of this side wall is provided with screw threads9 onto which la 'valve protection cap lIl ,can be screwed.

' l The lowrend of the side wall is rounded transversely and is seatedin a circular groove I2 formed in a wide metal dished crown I3 thatencircles the neck and extends outward over the head. This groove isformed by bending an annular portion of the crown downward near itsinner edge, thereby forming below the groove an annular rib--I4which-preferably. although not necessarily, engage'sxthe top of thehead. The outer edge of the crown also engages the head. The inner edgeof the crown can be extended up into the collar as far as desired.Stamped in the upper surface of the crown around the collar' is the datarequired by the Interstate. Commerce Commission, including the.l serialnumber of theV cylinder on which the crown is mounted, as well as allthose additional markings that are convenient and desirable, such asthewa'ter capacity and tare weight of the container, and the name andaddress of its owner; It will be observed that the crown is clampedpermanently in place onthe cylinder by means of the collar. whichispermanently attached to the neck, buty that neither the crown norV thecollar is. Weldedi to the head. However, if found desirablelthe outeredge of. the crown could in some casesfbe welded or brazed to the head.Where a weld 8 -is used-l for connecting the collar to therneck,theweldwillnotaiect the strength of thehead. This also is true ot any otherform of attachment'at. thspoint. The crown will protect the top ofthehead: against denting bycareless handlingot the.- container or bybumping withk awrenchv while removing valve cap I I` or the valve.

In making such a pressure Vessel the neck. 3if a separate member, iswelded. or brazed tothe head I and then the. cylinder is tested. Aftertesting, the metal crown, which then is in the form of a flat perforateddisk, is stamped with the seria1 number and other informationapplicableto that particular. cylinder. The perforated disk thenY is pressed `toprovide it with the;y groove I2 and the rib I4 andv to makeitconvex. Theconvexity of the annular disk isx greater than that .of the headY sothat whenv the. crown is dropped over the neck, only its outer edgewillengagethe head, as shown. in Fig. 1l.V The rib will-.be-'spaced from thehead as well as from the neck.. Thefthreaded collar I then is set onthezcrownwithfitsflower edge seated in the groove; Due. to theribbeingspaced kfrom the head, the top of thezcollar'will be above the topofthe` neck, and the-lower surface of. the top wall of the collar willbespaced from the bottom of the neck recess; 6/ a distance at least asgreat as that between theribf andhead. Thecollar then is pressed downto` spring: the inner portion. of the crown down, preferablyfuntil itsrib engages the top of the head. At the same time the top wall of thecollar willengage or substantially engage the bottom of' the neckrecess.

While` the collar is held in this position. it is welded to the neck bycircular weld 8, oris otherwise permanently attached to theneck, wherebythe crown is held firmly and permanently inplace againstthe head.

It will be seen that this invention makes itpossible to test thecylinders before-anyfpermanent identifying data is appliedy tothem.Consequently, if any cylinder fails it is unnecessary to go. back andmake a new cylinder to take: its `place and to carry. the same serialnumber as the cylinder that failed. The unsatisfactory cylinderI ismerely discarded. and its .place is taken bythe next cylinder `in line,because the permanent identifying' data is not appliedtoa cylinder.until after itl'h'asV passed. its. test.. Thisfsav'esa ma- 4 terialamount of time in the production of pressure vessels. The shape andinclination of the element bearing the stamped data is such that allessential data, including serial number, water capacity and tare weight,can be read from almost any position without turning the container tocause such data to face him. This is not Dossible with a small diameterpart or where the part is sloped upward very much. With a separatedata-carrying member, as disclosed herein, the data can be stamped intothat member as deeply as desired without weakening the head of thecylinder.l l

The modified embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 5v has theadvantage over the one previously `described of permanently joining theinner edge of the identication member 2| to the neck 22 of the cylinderhead 23. In this case the opening through the center of the annularmember4 is considerably smaller than the one in crown I3,sothattheinneredge of., the crown can extend into the lower part ofa deeprecess 2li' encircling the v upper end of the neck. The dished crown 2Iismade. in. the same. w'ay as the one described above. by pressing alatperforated disk to make it moreshajrply concave than the head and toprovide itwith a circular groove26 in its top and a ,ribj 2,1 onits-bottom. However, the inner. portion of the crownextends somedistance inward from the'groove, and upward. When the crown isdropped-over the neckr of the cylinder, only the outer edge` ofther-crown will engage the head. The` inner edge will project into thecentral portion of neck` recess 24. An` externally threaded collar 28then is set in the crown groove and pressed down to spring the rib downtoward the head.l This-Will lower both collar and crown in theneckfrecess. While heldl inA this position the inner edges ,off thecollar and crown are permanently fastened to the neck, preferably byarbrazefor Weld 29 that joins the `adjoining surfaces into asingleunit.Thusthe crown as well asthe collar. isrwelded to the neck, but neitherneedbe welded' tothe head. If the threads on the collar become worn orrusted, the collar can be replaced by a new' one without disturbing thecrown,= by merely chipping Aout or otherwise removing the upper partr ofweld 29 and then re- Welding a new collar.

- In the embodimentsl'iownin Fig. 6 the collar 3I and annularlidentification member 32 are made in onervpiece, with the crown 32projecting from the bottom of the collar like a flange. When thiscombined unit is first setv down on the head,

- onlyV the outer edge of. the crown engages the head.

The: collar then is pressed downward to force the inner portion ofv thercrown, wherev it joins the collar, .against the. head, or nearly so. Theinner edge of the top wall of the collar is disposed in a recess 33encircling the upper Aend of the neck 34 on the cylinderv head 3G, andvis permanently held therein in any suitable manner, preferably by abrazeor weld 31. This formv of the invention The. adjoiningfi'nner. edges ofthe collar 42 and the crown-.43am welded yto the side of the neck. 'Ihisfigure al'solshows vthat the crown rib 44 may be, flef.t spacedfromthecylinder head. 45.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained theprinciple of my invention and have illustrated and described what I nowconsider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have itunderstood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated anddescribed.

I claim:

1. A pressure vessel comprising a cylinder having a convex head providedwith a neck, a wide identication metal crown encircling the neck withits outer edge engaging the head, the upper surface of the crown beingprovided with identifying data stamped therein, the inner portion of thecrown having a downwardly bent annular portion forming a groove in itstop and a rib on its bottom, and an externally threaded collarencircling the neck and joined to the upper end of it, the bottom of thecollar seating in said groove and pressing said rib toward the head.

2. A pressure vessel comprising a cylinder having a convex head providedwith a neck, a wide identification metal crown encircling the base ofthe neck with its outer edge engaging the head, the inner portion of thecrown having a downwardly bent annular portion forming a groove in itstop and a rib on its bottom, all but said outer edge of the crownoriginally being spaced from the head, a collar encircling the f neckand having an externally threaded side wall spaced therefrom and a topwall extending inward toward said neck, the upper end of the neck beingencircled by a recess receiving the inner edge portion of said top Wall,and a weld joining said inner edge portion to the neck, the bottom ofsaid side wall seating in said groove and springing said rib down towardthe head, and the upper surface of the crown around the collar havingidentifying data stamped therein.

3. A pressure vessel comprising a cylinder having a convex head providedwith a neck, a wide identification metal crown encircling the neck withits outer edge engaging the head and its inner edge spaced from the headand secured to the neck, the crown having a downwardly bent annularportion between its edges forming a groove in its top and a rib on itsbottom, and an externally threaded collar encircling the neck and joinedto the upper end otit. the bottom of the collar seating in vsaid grooveand pressing said rib toward the head, and the upper surface of thecrown having identifying data stamped in it outside of the collar.

4. A pressure vessel comprising a cylinder having a convex -headprovided with a neck encircled at its upper end by a recess, a wideidentification metal crown of greater convexity than the head encirclingthe neck with its inner edge disposed in the neck recess and its outeredge engaging the head, a collar encircling the neck and extending intosaid recess above the crown, the collar having an externally threadedside wall spaced from the neck with the bottom of said wall springing anannular portion of the crown toward the head to press the outer edge ofthe crown tightly against the head, and a weld in said recess joiningthe inner edges of the collar and crown to the neck, the upper surfaceof the crown having identifying data stamped therein around the collar.

5. A pressure vessel comprising a cylinder having a convex head providedwith a neck, a wide identication metal crown of greater convexity thanthe head encircling the neck with its inner edge near the upper end ofthe neck and its outer edge engaging the head, a collar encirling theneck and having a top wall close to the neck above the crown, the collarhaving an externally threaded side wall spaced from the neck with thebottom of the side wall springing an annular portion of the crown towardthe head to press the outer edge of the crown tightly against the head,and a weld joining the inner edge of the collar top wall to the neck,the upper surface of the crown having identifying data stamped thereinaround the collar.

CARL E. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,948,953 Wayer et al Feb. 27,1934 1,948,966 Jaeger Feb. 27, 1934 2,031,351 Rheem Feb. 18, 19362,356,901 Wackman Aug. 29, 1944 2 421 460 Merker et al June 3. 194'?

